Office desk with typewriter attachment



Sept. l0, 1940. M, FOX 2,214,526

-OFIEICE DESK WITHl TYPEWRITER ATTACHMENT Filed Aug. 1'7, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l A jf I 6 l septn 1o, 1940. M. Fox 2,214,526

lOFF'IICE DESK WITH TYPEWRITER ATTACHMENT Sept. 1Q, 1940. M Fox 2,214,526

OFFICE DESK WITH TYPEWRITER ATTACHMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed A ug. 17, 1959 Patented Sept. 10, 1940 OFFICE DESK WITH TYPEWRITER ATTACHMENT MartinFox, Chicago, Ill., assigner to` The Seng Company, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 17, 1939, SerialkNo. 290,692

6 Claims. (Cl. 312 29') My invention relates to office desks of that special type which include a compartment for housing a typewriter,` and is provided with means for transferring the typewriterto and from aposition for use at one side of the desk.

In the construction of an `office desk of this general character it is customary to have the compartment for the typewriter at one side spaced from a bank of drawers at the other side,

the compartment being provided with a door and including means for supporting the typewriter suspended within the compartment, when housed, and in horizontal position beyond the door opening when it is to be used. The supl porting means usually consist of a shelf or platy form hinged to a slide rail movable into and out of the compartment, whereby the platform and' typewriter secured thereto can be swung downwardly for sliding into the compartment, and raised to horizontal position outside of the compartment to bring the typewriter into position for use in front of the desk at one side thereof, the platform carrying the typewriter being held in rhorizontal position `by` suitable supporting means engaging the outer end thereof.

The main purpose of my invention is to provide strong and durable means for supporting and transferring a typewriter to and from the compartment, including a particular construction of hinged platform that will coordinate with the lintel of the doorway to firmly hold the platform in horizontal position and obviate vibration in the operation of the typewriter.

A further object of my invention is to provide a strong fixture for supporting the slide rail, in connection with a particular form of slide rail, whereby the supporting fixture may be located entirely within the compartment, thus leaving the hinged door free of any attachments, as well as relieving the hinges of the door of any strain in supporting the typewriter outside of the compartment or in position for use.

My invention also contemplates the provision of a set of metal fixtures and wood platform, as articles of manufacture, to be supplied to makers of office desks, the metal fixtures comprising a slide rail with hinged platform and counterbalancing spring attachments, in association with a supporting fixture for the slide rail and a spring latch for supporting the platform in horizontal position; all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: f 55.1 Figure 1 is a perspective view of an oflice desk having a typewriter compartment, including attachments, in accordance with my invention.'

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, to show the manner of supporting the platform to which the typewriter is secured, the dotted lines showing the platform 5 in extended and raised positions.

Fig. 3 is a detail plan View of the typewriter compartment and attachments, the top of the desk being removed and the platform shown in horizontal position outside of the compartment.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the slide rail.

Fig. 7 is a detail plan View of the shelf or platform to which the typewriter is secured.

Fig; 3 is a detail perspective view showing.thc

application of the rail supporting metal fixture,

and

Fig. 9 is a detail elevation of one end of thev metal supporting fixture.

My improved desk attachments, for housing a typewriter in a` compartment and providing for moving it into a position for use at one sidev of the desk, are illustrated in the drawings as applied to an office desk in which there `is a bank of drawers ifi spaced from a closet or compartment for the typewriter at the other side, desig- 30'v nated by the numeral il, in the present instance the door l2 of said compartment being finished on the outside to simulate a bank of drawers similar to those at the other side of the desk,

witha long drawer i4 above the space usually 35v provided between the banks of drawers. It will beunderstood, however, that the desk may be of any design desired, and that the attachments, hereinafter described, may be employed in connection with a stand or in association with a desk 0f end thereof, thus providing a unitary structure for application to a compartment of a desk, stand, or other similar article of furniture.

By reference to Figs. 8 and 9 it will be noted that the metal xture for supporting the slide rail and platform consists of an attaching plate having an inturned flange 2| at its upper longitudinal edge for firmly securing the fixture to a rail 22 located at one side of the compartment near the upper end thereof, and mounted on this plate are the roller bearings il on which the longitudinal rail I6 slides, said rail having turned over flanges 23 at both its longitudinal edges to receive the roller bearings. Two pairs of rollers are preferably employed for engagement with the upper and lower flanges of the rail, respectively, and these rollers are located at opposite ends of the fixture in order to firmly support the rail, platform and typewriter when extended beyond the compartment, it being understood that the said fixture is located entirely within the cornpartment adjacent the doorway, and that no xtures are placed on the door, thus relieving the hinges of any strain. To insure an easy sliding of the rail carrying the typewriter platform ballbearing rollers are employed, preferably of that type in which the rim Ila revolves on balls IIb interposed between said rim and grooved ring riveted to the attaching plate.

The outer end of the slide rail, between the aforementioned longitudinal flanges, is closed by an outwardly projecting flange 24 so that the ifi movement of the rail into the compartment is stopped by said flange abutting against the rollers at the outer end of the supporting fixture, and for limiting the movement of the rail out of the compartment for withdrawing the platform said rail is provided with a pin 25 projecting therefrom intermediate the longitudinal flanges to engage a companion pin 26 secured to and extending from the attaching plate of the fixture near the inner end thereof, pin 25 being in the form of a screw, with a lock washer (not shown), for convenience in disconnecting the slide rail from the fixture by removing said screw, it being noted that the inner end of said slide rail is left open for this purpose. Furthermore, in order that the same supporting xture may be used at either the right or left hand side of a desk, according to which side the compartment is located, a pin 26a is attached near the other end of the attaching plate from pin 26, and it will be obvious that the slide rail is also similarly reversible by turning it upside down.

To support the platform in horizontal position outside of the compartment a spring latch 21 is attached to the opposite side of the doorway from the hinged side of the platform, and to facilitate moving the platform into the compartment when suspended from the slide rail a friction roller 28 is attached to the corner post 555 of the compartment or pedestal of the desk to bear against the back of said platform. The latch comprises an attaching plate 29 to which the latch plate 30 is pivoted, the latter being acuated outwardly by a torsion spring 3| (see dotted lines Fig. and the outward movement of the plate limited by the usual slot and pin, 32 and 33. This latch engages the free end of the platform as the latter is swung to horizontal position when moved out of the compartment, in which position a reduced inner end of said platform extends through the doorway for engagement with the latch, and to prevent wear on the wood platform a small angle plate 34 is attached to the outer edge of the reduced inner end thereof.

As hereinbefore explained the stability of the platform in extended horizontal position is insured by engagement of the slide rail with the two pairs of rollers on the supporting fixture, but

to increase the stability and prevent vibration of the typewriter when it is being used I employ an upstanding strip or rail 35 near the inner end of the platform which engages a groove 36 in the cross piece or lintel 31 at the upper end of the doorway, the thickness of the rail being reduced at its upper edge where it enters the groove. This rail in engagement with the crosspiece of the doorway by increasing the stability of the typewriter supporting platform also relieves the slide rail supporting rollers of strain to some extent. The rail for reinforcing the support of the platform and typewriter carried thereby is secured to the platform by means of small brackets 38, the inner end of the platform extending slightly beyond the rail to accommodate the attachment 0f means for counterbalancing the weight of the platform and typewriter in raising and lowering the same when moved outside of the compartment.

The counterbalancing helical spring I8 is attached at one end to the outwardly projecting flange 39 of a bracket plate 40 riveted to near the inner end of the slide rail l 6, and at its other end to the upwardly projecting flange 4I of a bracket plate 42 secured to the inner end of the platform, and in order to regulate the tension of the spring its attachment to the bracket plate 42 is by means of an eye-bolt 43 extending through the flange of the bracket with a thumbnut 44 on the outer threaded end thereof. A strong spring `is employed, and as the bracket 29 is extended above the silde rail the pull on the spring as the platform is lowered with the typewriter will ease the downward movement in housing the typewriter, as well as assist in the upward movement in bringing the typewriter to position for use.

The door l2 for closing the compartment for housing the typewriter is hung on the corner post 45 by hinges 46 of any approved form, preferably of a type that will be concealed Within the door when closed so that the outer surface of said door may be finished to simulate a bank of drawers and thereby give the desk the general appearance of an office desk. However, any kind of a door may be used, as Well as ordinary hinges, the main purpose of my invention being to provide a set of xtures, including the platform to which the typewriter is secured, and as will be obvious it is necessary, in housing the typewriter, to first disengage the catch and lower the platform carrying the typewriter so that they may be slid into the compartment and concealed by closing the door, the closed outer end of the slide rail abutting against the outer pair of supporting rollers to properly position the movable parts within the compartment. When it is desired to use the typewriter it is withdrawn with the platform and when raised to horizontal position in front of the desk at one side thereof the outer end of the platform will be automatically engaged by the latch with the upper edge of the platformrail in engagement with the groove at the under side of the crosspiece or lintel of the doorway for rmly supporting the platform and typewriter.

The metal fixtures hereinbefore described provide a unitary structure in the form of desk attachments for supporting a typewriter in connection with a compartment of the desk, said structure including the supporting fixture with rollers, rail slidable on the rollers, wood platform hinged to the slide rail and having the upstanding rail to cooperate with the upper crosspiece of the doorway, and means for counterbalancing the weight of the platform and typewriter consisting of the spring attached to the slide rail and platform, the latch being also furnished with the aforesaid equipment. It is therefore contemplated to furnish these xtures to makers of desks and like oiice furniture, and as several of the parts are reversible only a few changes are necessary in assembling them for a right or left hand compartment or pedestal.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that changes in the construction of detail parts may be made within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. 'Ihe combination with a desk compartment for housing a typewriter, said compartment having a doorway with a crosspiece at the upper end thereof, of a slide rail, a platform for the typewriter hinged to the slide rail at one side thereof, means for supporting the platform in horizontal position, an upstanding strip or rail on the platform near the inner end thereof, and a groove in the crosspiece of the doorway with which the rail on the platform engages to obviate vibration when the typewriter is in use.

2. The combination with a desk compartment for housing a typewriter, said compartment having a doorway,7 with a longitudinal groove in the upper crosspiece thereof and a door hinged to one side of the doorway, of a metal supporting fixture secured within the compartment adjacent one side of the doorway and having spaced apart pairs of rollers, a rail having outturned angular flanges at the opposite longitudinal edges in which the rollers turn for slidably connecting the rail to the aforementioned xture, a stop at the outer end of the rail between the anges for limiting the inward movement of the slide rail, and pins projecting from the xture and slide rail adapted to strike one against the other for limiting the outward movement of the slide rail and platform; together with a spring latch at the side of the doorway opposite the aforementioned fixture for supporting the platform in horizontal position, and an upstanding strip or rail secured to the platform near one end thereof engaging the groove in the crosspiece at the upper end of the doorway, the spring latch and cooperating strip or rail firmly holding the platform in horizontal position to prevent vibration when the typewriter is in use.

3. A reversible metal fixture for supporting a typewriter platform in connection with a desk having a compartment for housing the platform and typewriter, said fixture comprising an attaching plate having spaced apart pairs of rollers between the upper and lower edges thereof, a lateral flange at its upper edge, and screw threaded holes near opposite ends thereof to receive a removable stop pin threaded for engagement with either one of said holes, together with a rail having angular flanges at its opposite longitudinal edges engaged by the rollers and a pin projecting from the rail between the flanges to cooperate with the pin on the attaching plate.

4. The combination with a desk compartment for housing a typewriter, said compartment having a doorway with a crosspiece at its upper end, of a slide rail, a platform for the typewriter hinged to the slide rail at one side thereof, a fixture secured at one sideof the compartment for maintaining the rail in slidable engagement therewith for movement of the platform into and out of the compartment, means at the other side of the compartment for supporting the platform in horizontal position outside of the compartment, and means on the upper side of the platform spaced from the rear end thereof and engaging cooperating means at the underside of the crosspiece of the doorway-when the platform is in raised horizontal position-to overcome vibration when the typewriter is in use.

5. A metal xture for use in supporting a typewriter platform in connection with a desk having a compartment for housing the platform and typewriter and a doorway with a crosspiece grooved at its under side, said fixture being reversible for attachment to either side of the compartment comprising an attaching plate having a supporting ange at its upper end and spaced apart pairs of rollers between the upper and lower edges thereof, a rail having outturned annular flanges at its opposite longitudinal edges engaged by the rollers on the attaching plate, the outer end of the rail being closed by a ange extending between the longitudinal anges for limiting the movement of the slide rail in one direction, and pins projecting from the attaching plate and slide rail for engaging of one with the other in limiting the movement of the slide rail in the other direction; together with a platform hinged to the slide rail and having an upstanding strip secured to the upper side thereof with a longitudinal tongue on said strip for engagement with the groove in the aforementioned crosspiece of the doorway.

6. A metal fixture for use in Supporting a typewriter platform in connection with a desk having a compartment for housing the platform and typewriter and a doorway with a crosspiece grooved at its under side, said fixture being reversible for attachment to either side of the compartment and comprising an attaching plate having a supporting flange at its upper end and spaced apart pairs of rollers between the upper and lower edges thereof, a rail having outturned annular flanges at its opposite longitudinal edges engaged by the rollers on the attaching plate, the outer end of the rail being closed by a flange extending between the longitudinal anges for limiting the movement of the slide rail in one direction, and pins projecting from the attaching plate and slide rail for engagement of one with the other in limiting the movement of the slide rail in the other direction; together with a platform hinged to the slide rail and having an upstanding strip secured to the upper side thereof with a longitudinal tongue on said strip for engagement with the groove in the aforementioned crosspiece of the doorway, spaced apart bracket plates on the slide rail and platform respectively, a spring connected at its ends to the bracket plates, and a bolt and nut connection between one end of the spring and bracket to which it is connected.

MARTIN FOX. 

